Grammar
Gerunds and infinitives: choose the right verb form
You may know both forms of a verb, but the verb before them often decides which one belongs in the sentence.
Choose a gerund or an infinitive after common verbs and explain when the choice changes the meaning.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
decided to leave /dɪˈsaɪdɪd tə liːv/
The short answer
Learn the verb together with the form that follows it. Enjoy usually takes an -ing form, while hope usually takes to plus the base verb. Check the meaning carefully with verbs such as remember, stop, and go on.
Ari hopes to study abroad next year.
Why it works: Hope is normally followed by to plus the base verb when it describes a future plan or wish.
5 more examples
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Rina enjoys learning new recipes.
Enjoy is followed by an -ing form when the activity gives pleasure.
Not this:Rina
hopes to learnnew recipes this month. What changes: Hope looks forward to a possible future action, so it uses the infinitive. -
We decided to leave before the traffic built up.
Decide is followed by to plus the base verb when someone makes a choice about a later action.
Not this:We
avoided leavingduring the busiest hour. What changes: Avoid is followed by an -ing form because it names the action that someone did not do. -
Please remember to lock the studio door.
Remember to do something means that the action still needs to be done.
Not this:I
remember lockingthe studio door last night. What changes: Remember doing something means that the speaker has a memory of an earlier action. -
I stopped checking my phone during meetings.
Stop plus an -ing form means to end an activity.
Not this:I
stopped to checkmy phone after the meeting. What changes: Stop to do something means to pause one activity in order to do another one. -
The manager suggested meeting on Thursday.
Suggest is followed by an -ing form when it introduces an idea for an activity.
Not this:The manager
asked us to meeton Thursday. What changes: Ask can take an object plus an infinitive when one person requests an action from another.
Read the full guide
Start with the first verb, then choose the pattern it normally takes. Do not choose only because an -ing form sounds familiar. When two patterns are possible, ask whether the speaker means an action already connected to experience or an action that is still to happen.
Start with the first verb
The problem: I see two verbs and do not know whether to use an -ing form or to plus a verb.
Look first at the verb that comes before the second action. That verb often chooses the pattern. You can learn it in a short pair: enjoy doing, decide to do, and suggest doing. The form after the first verb is part of the pattern, so learn both words together.
| First verb | Usual next form | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy | verb + -ing | Rina enjoys learning new recipes. |
| decide | to + base verb | We decided to leave before the traffic built up. |
| suggest | verb + -ing | The manager suggested meeting on Thursday. |
| hope | to + base verb | Ari hopes to study abroad next year. |
Use an -ing form after some verbs
The problem: I use to after every verb because I am thinking about an action.
After enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, and finish, English normally uses an -ing form. The -ing form names the activity as the object of the first verb. It does not need to describe an action happening now.
Use an -ing form after enjoy and avoid.
They avoided driving in the storm.
Do not add to after these verbs in this pattern.
They avoided to drive in the storm.
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Not this:
She suggested to meet after work.Say: She suggested meeting after work.
Suggest is normally followed by an -ing form when it introduces an activity.
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Not this:
We finished to clean the kitchen.Say: We finished cleaning the kitchen.
Finish takes an -ing form for the activity that has ended.
Use to plus the base verb after others
The problem: I add an -ing form after a verb that usually needs an infinitive.
After want, decide, hope, plan, and refuse, use to plus the base verb. These verbs often point toward an intention, decision, or possible future action. The second verb stays in its base form after to.
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Nico plans to apply for the internship.
Why it works: Plan is followed by an infinitive when it names an intended action.
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The team refused to change the schedule.
Why it works: Refuse is followed by an infinitive for the action that the team would not do.
Check verbs that change meaning
The problem: I know that both forms are possible, but my sentence says something different from what I mean.
With remember, forget, stop, and go on, the form can change the time or purpose of the action. An infinitive often points to an action that still needs to happen. An -ing form often refers to an activity as an experience, memory, or action already in progress. Read the whole situation before choosing.
The action is still a task to complete.
Please remember to lock the studio door.
The speaker has a memory of an earlier action.
I remember locking the studio door last night.
End the activity that is already happening.
I stopped checking my phone during meetings.
Pause one action in order to do another action.
I stopped to check my phone after the meeting.
Choose by meaning in a full sentence
The problem: I can repeat a rule, but I lose the meaning when I choose a form in context.
Use a short process. First, identify the verb that controls the next form. Next, decide whether it belongs to an -ing pattern or an infinitive pattern. Finally, check whether a verb such as remember or stop is changing the meaning. This last step prevents a grammatically possible form from giving the wrong message.
Choose the form: I regret ___ you that the workshop is full.
Use to inform. Regret to do is used when the speaker is about to give unwelcome information. Regret doing refers to feeling sorry about an earlier action.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose the form from the first verb's pattern. Use an -ing form after verbs such as enjoy, avoid, and suggest. Use an infinitive after verbs such as decide, hope, and want. For remember, stop, and similar verbs, read the whole sentence before choosing.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Gerunds and infinitives: choose the right verb form"
What is the difference between a gerund and an infinitive?
A gerund uses the -ing form as a noun-like part of a sentence, as in enjoy reading. An infinitive usually uses to plus the base verb, as in decide to leave. The verb before the second action usually determines which form is needed.
Rina enjoys learning new recipes.
Which verbs are followed by a gerund?
Common verbs followed by an -ing form include enjoy, avoid, consider, suggest, and finish. Learn each verb as a complete pattern with an example, because the pattern is more reliable than trying to guess from the meaning of the second verb.
Rina hopes to learn new recipes this month.
Which verbs are followed by an infinitive?
Common verbs followed by an infinitive include want, decide, hope, plan, and refuse. Use to plus the base form after these verbs. For example, plan to apply has the base verb apply after to.
We decided to leave before the traffic built up.
Why do remember and stop use two different forms?
The form changes the message. Remember to do something refers to a task that still needs attention, while remember doing something refers to a past memory. Stop doing ends an activity, while stop to do pauses one activity for another purpose.
We avoided leaving during the busiest hour.
Can some verbs take both a gerund and an infinitive?
Yes. Some verbs, such as begin and continue, can take either form with little change in ordinary meaning. Other verbs need care because the two forms point to different situations. Use a full example to learn those differences.
Please remember to lock the studio door.